Plastic button



: 'Feb. 8, 1949. I ZB 2,461,324

PLASTIC BUTT N 2 Filed June 20, 1945 I IN V EN TOR;

. Ottb J. Huelster.

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PLASTIC BUTTON Otto J. Huelster,Waterbury, Conn, assignorto Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application J um: 20, 1945, SerialNo. 600,459

6 Claims. (01. 244:5)

between adapted to receive an orienting finger,

the lugs having tapered wall structures to give strength thereto andalso to centralize an orientmg finger on the cap in providing accuratealinement of the button on a support.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the. views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a tack type of button showing oneadaptation of my invention, the button beingshown on an enlarged scaleand the section being substantially on the line 'l'--l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the button shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa side edge view of the button shown in Figs. 1 and 2 lookingat the left side of the button as appearingin said figure.

4 is a bottom plan view of the button shown inFigs. 1-3; and

Fig. 5. is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modificat-ion.

My present invention deals with buttons or fastener devices of various.kinds. and classes and, in illustrating one adaptation of the.invention, the button illustrated is of a type and kind adapted toreceive a tack in securing the button to a garment or other support.

In buttons of this type and kind, quite often the surface of the buttonhas thereon adesign, name or other type of characterization orornamentation and, in such instances, it. is often desirable to properlyposition a series of buttons on the support in maintaining an alinementof the designs or ornamentations. To this end, machines attaehing thebuttons employ what, is generally re? ferred to. as orienting fingers tobring the button cap or head into a, predetermined position in themachine; prior to attachment of, the button to. a support.

My present invention is more particularly concerned with button whereinthe cap or head comprises a moulded or cast body of plastic or; othermaterial andinsimultaneously formin in the moulded or cast bodyorienting means comprising a pair of spaced lugs protruding from thelower surface of the body outwardly of the hub or shank and, further, informing on said lugs bevelled-wall surfaces for purposes more fullyhereinafter defined. w

In Figs. 1-4 inclusive is shown one, adaptation of the invention and, inthese figures, ll! represents a cylindrical hub or socket portion ormember having, at its upper end, an outwardly extending annularanchorage flange H and, at its lower end, an inturned substantiallyconical wall 22 terminating in upwardly and outwardly curved flangeportions l3. Centrally of the Wall :2 is an admission opening l4,through which the prong of a tack is adapted to pass in'securing thebutton to a support, as is well known in this. art. At I5 is shown adome-shaped anvil part. The part 15 includes a. downwardly directedsleeve portion i6. arranged adjacent the wall of the huh I 8' and thesleeve portion terminates in an inwardly and upwardly inclined wallportion [1, centrally of which. is a tack receiving, opening l8. It willappear thatv the-wall portion H is arranged in abutting relation withthe flange portions It, thus, forming, when the parts It? and. I5 areassembled, a large chamber, l9 in the upper portion of the hub andwithin the flange l l.

At 2!! is shown the head or cap of the button which is in the form of amoulded or cast body of any suitable material.

In the present construction, reference is made for illustrative purposesto plastic material and, here, it will be apparent that thermosettin andthermoplastic types of such materials can be employed. The body 20 isconsiderably larger in diameter than the hub Ill and has. a domed outersurface 21, a slightly bevelled inner surface 22 and a body portion 23-arranged in the chamber l9 to fi-t snugly around the anvil member [5and, in

the hub ill, the body 23 extends below the surface 22 of the cap, aswill clearly appear from a. consideration of Fig. i of the drawing.

In moulding or casting the cap or head 28-, a pair oidorwnwardlyextending lugs or projecting members 24- isiormed on the surfaoezz, thelugs being spaced apart to form a socket or'recess 25 adapted. toreceive the orienting ffinger of a button attaching machine. The wallsof the lugs 2.4T taper outwardly, as seen at 26, to reinforce the lugs,and also to. facilitate passage of an orienting finger over the surface22 and the lugs 24 in entering the recess 25. It will appear from aconsideration of Fig. 1 of the drawing that the recess 25 extends intothe body of the cap or button beyond the surface 22, as shown at 21, toprovide a relatively large surface on the lugs 24 without projectingsaid lugs to any appreciable degree beyond the surface 22 of the cap.

It will be apparent that the recess 25 will be arranged in apredetermined angular position with respect to designs, ornamentationsor characterizations appearing on the surface 2| of the cap 26, forexample, the letters S C O, as seen at 28, and the word Brand, as seenat 29. In

the present construction, the recess 25 is arranged at right angles toan imaginary center line extending vertically through the two characters28 and 29 as seen in Fig. 2, so that these characters will maintain anupright readable position as they are arranged on the support to whichthe button is attached. Of course, any predetermined relationship ofangularity may be provided, depending upon the machine and the work towhich the buttons are attached and, in some instances, the recess 25 maybe in alinement with the center of one or more of the markings on theouter surfaces of the button.

In Fig. of the drawing is shown a slight modification. In this figure,18a represents a hub similar to the hub 20a a cap or head, generally ofthe form of the cap or head 20 being modified in providing a pair oflugs 24a. having a slightly conical socket or recess 25a by virtue ofinwardly contracting or tapering walls 30. These Walls will aid indefinitely centering and alining a button with respect to a support, itbeing understood that the orienting finger of the machine will be shapedto seat on the bevelled walls. In other words, with a straight wallslot, such as the-slot 25, sufficient clearance must be provided forfree insertion and removal of an orienting finger, thus slightvariations can be experienced in the alin'ement of the button cap. Withthe structure shown'in Fig. 5, a positive and accurate alinement canbe'obtained. Furthermore, the bevelling of the surfaces 30 gives furtherstrength to the lugs and will also facilitate removal of the orientingfinger after the button has been attached to its support.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 7

1. A button comprising a cap, said cap comprising a molded body, a hubportion, one end of the hub portion being embedded and anchored in saidmolded body, the major part of the hub portion protruding from onesurface of said body centrally thereof, said body outwardly of the huband within the peripheral edge thereof having a pair ofcircumferentially spaced and radially extending lugs projecting fromsaid surface of the body adjacent the hub, and said lugs formingtherebetween an orienting recess in alining the button with respect to asupport to which the button is attached.

2. A button comprising a cap, said cap comprising a molded body, a hubportion, one end of the hub portion being embedded and anchored in saidmolded body, the major part of the hub portion protruding from onesurface of said body centrally thereof, said body outwardly of the huband within the peripheral edge thereof having a pair ofcircumferentially spaced and radially extending lugs projecting fromsaid surface of the body adjacent the hub, said lugs formingtherebetween an orienting recess in alining the button with respect to asupport to which the button is attached, and lower surfaces of said lugstapering laterally.

3. A button comprising a cap, said cap comprising a molded body, a hubportion, one end of the hub portion being embedded and anchored in saidmolded body, the major part of the hub portion protruding from onesurface of said body centrally thereof, said body outwardly of the huband within the peripheral edge thereof having a pair ofcircumferentially spaced and radially extending lugs projecting fromsaid surface of the body adjacent the hub, said lugs formingtherebetween an orienting recess in alining the button with respect to asupport to which the button is attached, and. said recess extending intosaid surface of said molded body in providing wide inner adjacentsurfaces on said lugs while minimizing projection of the lugs withrespect to said surface.

4. A button comprising a cap, said cap comprising a molded body, a hubportion, one end of the hub portion being embedded and anchored in saidmolded body, the major part of the hub portion protruding from onesurface of said body centrally thereof, said body outwardly of the huband within the peripheral edge thereof having a pair ofcircumferentially spaced and radially extending lugs projecting fromsaid surface of the body adjacent the hub, said lugs formingtherebetween an orienting recess in alining the button with respect to asupport to which the button is attached, said recess extending into saidsurface of said molded body in providing wide inner adjacent surfaces onsaid lugs while minimizing projection of the lugs with respect to saidsurface, and inner adjacent surfaces of the lugs converging in thedirection of said body.

5. A button comprising a tubular hub portion, one end of the hub portionhaving an outwardly flared flange, the button having a cap comprising amolded body in which said flange is embedded,

the hub beyond the limits of said flange protruding from the lowersurface of the cap outwardly of said hub, part of the molded body ofsaid cap extending into the hub portion below said lower surface of thecap, a pair of circumferentially spaced and radially extending lugsprojecting from said lower surface of the cap, outer ends of said lugsterminating inwardly of the peripheral edge of the cap, said lugsforming therebetween an orienting recess for alining the button withrespect to a support to which the button'is attached, and said recessextending into said surface of the cap in providing wide inner adjacentsurfaces on said lugs while minimizing projection of the lugs withrespect to said surface.

6. A button comprising a tubular hub portion, one end of thehub portionhaving an outwardly flared flange, the button having a cap comprising amolded body in which said flange is embedded, the hub beyond the limitsof said flange protruding from the lower surface of the cap outwardly ofsaid hub, part of the molded body of said cap extending into the hubportion below said lower surface of the cap, a pair of circumferentiallyspaced and radially extending lugs projecting from said lower surface ofthe cap, outer ends of said lugs terminating inwardly of the peripheraledge of the cap, said lugs forming therebetween an orienting recess foralining the button with respect to a support to which the 2,461,324 5 6button is attached, said recess extending into said REFERENCES CITEDsurface of the cap in providing wide inner adjacent surfaces on saidlugs while minimizing prog g sfi g ggf igf are of record m the jectionof the lugs with respect to said surface, I j and an anvil member insaid hub and seating on 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS that part of the moldedbody extending into the Number Name Date 2,067,222 Wolff Jan. 12 1937OTTO HUELSTER- 2,170,234 Carley Aug. 22, 1939

